Empowerment: Excitement, Jubilation As  Foundation Doles Out Cheques To Beneficiaries

Fresh from the succor given to over 500 widows of slain military and paramilitary officers in Rivers State early this year, the Founder of Elizabeth Jack-Rich Aid Foundation, Dr. (Mrs.) Elizabeth Jack-Rich Tein has scored another millage with the training of over 1000 women in Rivers State and the FCT, Abuja, in vocational and entrepreneurial skills with start-up capital of N100, 000 each to the beneficiaries.

At a colorful ceremony held at The Hub Event Center, Peter Odili Road in Port Harcourt on Saturday, Tein who is the wife of the President of Belema Producing Oil Limited, Mr. Jack-Rich Tein Jnr., doled out a whooping N120, 400,000 to the beneficiaries who were trained in over fifteen crafts.

Breakdown of the cheque presentation showed that the 1,100 beneficiaries were each given N100, 000 while a physically challenged in the mix got N2million.  The sum of N8, 400,000 was shared amongst the best presenters from the different craft classes.

The empowerment programme which was organized in collaboration with the NNPC/Belema Oil Joint Venture and Belema Aid Foundation, trained 500 women from Abuja while 600 women benefitted from Rivers and other Niger Delta states.

The ceremony was spiced with a special exhibition session.  Each group lined-up in their stands and presented their selling point to Dr. (Mrs.) Elizabeth Jach-Rich Tein and her entourage that included the representative of the Managing Director of Belemaoil Producing, Mr. Endo Barilas; representative of Director General of SMEDAN, Mrs. Sido Patience; External Affairs Manager of Belemaoil, Mr. Samuel Abel-Jumbo and a handful of Nollywood stars, inspected the products and congratulated the women for job well done.

Addressing the beneficiaries before handing the cheques to them, the Foundation President urged them to use the knowledge gained from the training to succeed in their endeavor.

She said the programme stemmed from her desire to help humanity especially those around her and not based on gender bias.

Quoting the late former British Prime Minister, she said “If you want something to be said, as a man.  But if you want something done and done very well, ask a woman”.  According to her, when a woman is empowered, a nation has been empowered.

Dr. (Mrs.) Tein also urged the women to endeavor to empower other women around them, adding “Girls compete with each other but women empower each other”.

Some beneficiaries who spoke with National Network described the gesture as dream come true and prayed God for the continued success of the Belemaoil family.

Mrs. Angele Charles, who hails from Kula and was trained as a Caterer, said she would use the knowledge acquired and start-up capital to open a restaurant in her community.

“I have learnt how to make meat pie, fish roll, shawarma, bread roll and even how to cook assortment of native soup like Afang and native Kalabari delicacies”, she said.

Esther Benjamin, also from Kula was trained as a Hair Dresser and said she was excited to be one of the beneficiaries.  She said the training exposed her into various hair treatment and hair styles, adding that she had already concluded arrangements to open a hair slialon business.

For Miss Gloria Solomon, another Kula native, the training was worthwhile.  Now equipped with skill and money to start a catering business, Solomon said her two weeks training in Catering exposed her to vast knowledge of the nitty-gritty of cooking.

She thanked Dr. (Mrs.) Elizabeth Jack-Rich Tein for her kindness and prayed God to bless her husband for the support.

The ceaseless rain of prayers for the success of Elizabeth Jack-Rich Aid Foundation continued with Mrs. Kate Pepple who hailed from Bonny in Rivers State.

Pepple who said she was trained in Computer Appreciation, said she now have a broader perspective of Excel, Microsoft, Powerpoint and other computer applications.

She commended the organization for the gesture and urged other well meaning and wealthy individuals to emulate the example, even as she pledged to put the knowledge gained into good and productive use.

The two weeks vocational/entrepreneurship empowerment programme trained the women in bead making, catering, hand craft, poultry, leather works, hair dressing, fish farming, tye and dye.

Others are tailoring, computer appreciation, fashion design, soap making, facial make-up, decoration Ankara bag and shoe design, hat making and gele tying amongst others.